Apple Has A Plan To Reinvent The Keyboard

A new patent application by Apple reveals the company's plans to re-imagine the conventional keyboard as a thinner, lighter device, reports Apple Insider.

The application describes the "Single Support Lever Keyboard Mechanism," which would allow the keyboard caps to be made out of nearly any material. Materials mentioned include wood, glass, and even "polished meteorite."

Regardless of the material, the keyboard caps would be held in place by the rigid support levers, meaning they could have a total travel of as little as 0.2 millimeters.

The application states that "One advantage of the invention is that a low-travel keyboard may be provided for a thin-profile computing device without compromising the tactile feel of the keyboard."

So keyboards may get smaller and smaller without the user feeling a difference when he's typing.